MANILA, Philippines — The National Privacy Commission (NPC) announced on Wednesday that it was releasing guidelines on personal data processing for legal proceedings.

According to the NPC, this is based on Section 13 (f) of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA), which "allows the processing of sensitive personal information and privileged information when necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of natural or legal person in court proceedings or the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or when provided to government or public authority."

NPC Commissioner John Henry D. Naga said the DPA was designed to "balance the need for data processing by public authorities with the protection of data subject rights."

"While the protection of personal data is a fundamental right, we recognize that there are instances where processing such data is essential for upholding justice and the rule of law. These guidelines are designed to ensure that personal data is handled responsibly, and that the data subject rights are protected throughout the process," Naga said.

Section 3 of the NPC Advisory 2024-02, the processing of an individual's personal information under Section 13 (f) of the DPA is considered "legitimate interest" under section 12 (f) of the same law.

Full details of the guidelines can be found at the NPC website.